older learners experience considerable difficulty. The sound system phonology and the grammar of the first language impose themselves
on the new language and this leads to a foreign pronunciation, faulty grammatical patterns and occasionally to wrong choice of vocabulary.
b. Overgeneralization
The mentalist theory claims that the learner processes new language data in his mind and produces rules for its production, based on
evidence. Where the data are inadequate or the evidence only partial, such rules may well produce the following patterns.
“Where you went yesterday?”, and “where did go yesterday?”.
c. Error encouraged by teaching material or method
Errors appear to be induced by the teaching process itself. Error is evidence of failure of ineffective teaching or lack oil control. If the
material is well chosen, graded and presented with meticulous care, there should be any error. It is fairly easy to accept this in the early stages of
language learning when controls are applied in the shape of substitution tables, conversion exercises of a mechanical nature and guided sentence
patterns, but more difficult at later stages. However, it might be salutary for as bear in mind the possibility of some of our students’ error being
due to our own teaching.
D. MODAL AUXILIARY
1. The Understanding of Modal Auxiliary
“Modals express special meaning such as ability, necessity, and permission. Because English learners need to be able to express the various
meanings of modals as soon as possible in their communication with others, modals are among the first grammar topics taught in most English language
courses”.
29
29
Ron Cowan, The Teacher’s Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008, p. 293
Meanwhile, Azar stated
that “modal auxiliaries generally express a speaker’s attitudes or “moods”. For example, modal can express that a
speaker feels something necessary, advisable, permissible, possible, or probable; and in addition, they can convey the strength of these attitudes”.
30
In addition, according to Janet Ross and Gladys Doty explained that
“auxiliary verbs called modals are used with the simple form of the verb to express hypothetical conditions and conjectures as well as attitudes”.
31
Based on the opinions above the writer concluded that modal auxiliaries are functional words that help verbs to express specific meaning
such as ability, probability, possibility, obligatory, etc. Such modal auxiliaries are
can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, and ought to.
2. Kinds of Modal Auxiliaries
According to Azar
“the types of modal auxiliaries can be divided into two types. First, modal auxiliaries
can, could, had better, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, and would. Second, similar expressions: be able
to, be going to, be supposed to, be to, have to, have got to, used to.
32
“Modal auxiliaries express concepts or attitudes relating to recommendation,
obligation, necessity, and prohibition; permission and refusal; possibility, expectation, probability and certainty; promise and intention; ability and
willingness”.
33
Swan stated that modal verbs have several points in common which
make them quite different from other verbs:
30
Betty Schramfer Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, Second Edition,
New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1989. p. 68
31
Janet Ross, Gladys Doty, Writing English: A Composition Text in English as a Foreign
Language, Second Edition,New York: Harper Row Publishers, 1975. p. 91
32
Azar 1989, op cit., p. 68
33
B. D. Graver, Advanced English Practice, Second Edition, Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1971. p. 3
